When the Cardinals made the decision to commit playing time to Randal Grichuk, come surge or slump, manager Mike Matheny pulled him aside that August day at Wrigley Field to personally explain the team’s plan. Grichuk described that moment as “a huge weight lifting off my shoulders,” and one of the most productive stretches of the young slugger’s career followed.
There hasn’t been anything as formal this winter for Grichuk or Kolten Wong, though the team’s commitment to them as starters one year after they were both demoted has been the clearest constant of winter.
The team hasn’t said a thing to either player.